Kitchen Before & After: From Bland Contractor Grade to Chic Modern

Two years ago James and his partner bought a ranch house in Dallas. Although they loved the house and the location, they weren't wild about the interior, particularly the kitchen. (It had been cheaply renovated by a previous owner and felt generic.) They didn't have a lot of money to spend on a kitchen renovation, but by "choosing wisely" and doing most of the labor themselves they were able to turn this contractor grade kitchen into something much more suited to their tastes. See the 'After' photos below:

As y'all can tell, we kept the original base cabinets and terra-cotta floor. Then we added our own bit of jazz to make this place a little more contemporary. Taking the upper cabinets to the ceiling made the whole room appear taller. It also increased our storage space by about 40%. Although we lost the tiny cabinet with the attached microwave, we added an entire new cabinet over the refrigerator, and built out the top of the pantry to look finished.

Within the last two months they've replaced the granite counters, travertine backsplash, upper cabinets, stainless sink, faucet, stainless appliances, and overhead and under-cabinet lighting. James calls it "a major facelift" and says they couldn't be happier with the results!